For the fourth consecutive international window, Andre Ayew has been left out of the Black Stars squad, missing Ghana’s upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Madagascar. His last call-up came a year ago, in March 2024, but despite his resurgence in France’s Ligue 1, he remains overlooked.
Ayew’s absence raises critical questions—not just about his footballing ability, but about the leadership void in the Black Stars.
Black Stars coach Otto Addo first dropped Ayew in May 2024, citing a lack of club football and previous tournament mishaps. At the time, Ayew was without a team and had been heavily criticized for his costly errors in Ghana’s 2022 World Cup and 2023 AFCON campaigns.
Yet, when he returned to professional football with Le Havre in October 2024—scoring five goals in 12 Ligue 1 starts—his continued omission became harder to justify. Despite his impressive club form, he was still left out of Ghana’s final AFCON 2025 qualifiers.
Since Ayew’s departure, the Black Stars have struggled—not just with results, but with leadership. The team has won just two of its last eight matches, with no clear captain in place. Otto Addo’s indecisiveness has seen the armband passed between multiple players, creating instability.
Football analyst Christopher Nimley blamed the crisis on poor decision-making from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the technical team. “Otto Addo created this leadership mess. One moment it’s this captain, the next moment it’s another. There is no structure,” he remarked.
Former assistant coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani also emphasized the importance of a structured leadership system. “A team without a proper captain’s group is like a country without leaders. Leadership is crucial for stability.”
As a veteran who spent years under past Black Stars leaders like Stephen Appiah and Asamoah Gyan, Ayew was expected to provide continuity. But some argue his leadership wasn’t as strong as perceived.
“There were cases of player indiscipline under his captaincy, particularly during the 2023 AFCON,” Nimley alleged. “If a team revolts against a coach’s decisions, it often stems from the leader.”
Still, Ayew’s replacements have not delivered. The players meant to take over have scored just three goals in eight games, coinciding with Ghana’s first AFCON qualification failure in 21 years.
With the World Cup qualifiers approaching, the debate over Ayew’s future remains.
Nimley dismissed the idea of his return, stating, “Unless you are a Lionel Messi—still indispensable at 35—you don’t get recalled after nearly two decades of service.”
Dramani, however, framed Ayew’s exclusion as part of a natural transition. “Players come and go. Just as Appiah, Essien, and Gyan phased out, Ayew’s time may simply be up.”
Whether Ayew deserves a recall or not, one thing is clear—the leadership vacuum left in his absence has left Ghana struggling for stability both on and off the pitch.
